A rake is a commonly used tool in agriculture, horticulture, soil preparation and ground maintenance, and for other purposes in which an array of tines are displaced in a combing action generally along the ground.
In a manual variation of such a rake, a handle may extend from a transverse member which is disposed substantially parallel to the ground and from which uniformly spaced tines may project downwardly into engagement with the soil.
While the configurations of such rakes may vary, it is the common practice to provide tines which are more or less fixed to a support although some deflection may be allowed in the form of a springiness of the tines.
That is not to say that prior art rakes do not exist with movable members. Indeed, there are rakes which have the capability of adjustment of the spacing between the tines and rakes which are provided with cleaning means designed to remove material which tends to accumulate between the tines or on the tines.
Notwithstanding the large number of rakes of different design and construction in general use, they all are more or less energetically inefficient and less versatile than desired.